Contact:

CHICAGO — New public service announcements (PSA) of National Library Week Honorary Chair Caroline Kennedy are currently appearing on the Disney Channel. Approximately 1.4 million viewers see the PSAs every time they air.

Kennedy appears in the PSA with the star of Disney Channel's "Austin and Ally," Laura Marano. They discuss the value and opportunities available at libraries.

Librarians can watch the PSAs from the National Library Week website and link to the PSAs or embed them on their own websites, blogs or Facebook pages.

An advocate for reading, literacy and libraries, Kennedy has written or edited 10 bestselling books on American history, politics and poetry. Her latest book, “Poems to Learn by Heart" from Disney-Hyperion, an imprint of Disney Publishing Worldwide, with original illustrations by award-winning artist Jon J Muth—is a companion to her New York Times No. 1 bestselling collection “A Family of Poems.”

In addition to the video PSAs, free customizable print and digital PSAs featuring Kennedy are also available on the National Library Week website. Print PSAs are available for librarians to download and feature National Library Week theme, Communities matter @ your library, for use in local newspapers, library newsletters, websites and blogs. ALA offers customization of the print PSA; a library's logo can be added at no cost.

National Library Week is a national observance sponsored by the American Library Association (ALA) and libraries across the country each April. It is a time to celebrate the contributions of our nation's libraries and librarians and to promote library use.

The American Library Association’s Campaign for America’s Libraries (www.ala.org/@yourlibrary) is a public awareness campaign that promotes the value of libraries and librarians. Thousands of libraries of all types – across the country and around the globe – participate. The Campaign is made possible by ALA’s Library Champions.